Battlement
Battlement is an Imperial civilised world and the Adeptus Astartes Homeworld of the Emperor's Liberators Space Marine Chapter and Agents of Liberty Imperial Guard Regiment. The planet was found by chance when the Adeptus Mechanicus sent the previously unknown chapter to the Eastern Fringes to hide their mistakes in flesh-crafting. Battlement is a temperate planet with an un-settled moon and a yellow i0 star. The surface is well-developed but lacks the hive worlds of other more developed planets. It has roughly 800 million people living in said cities and the surrounding countryside. Further out are thick and far reaching forests, deserts, and ice caps. The planet also has a very large ocean. Background Dark Age of Technology Volunteers by their hundreds of thousands from the Terran country known as Merica flocked to colony ships destined for departure. One of Terra's former presidents of the Terranean Republic volunteers with a republic colony fleet to stretch mankind throughout the stars. The Terranean Republic brings the New Conglomeration (a multitude of corporations) with them in colony ships for the journey. However, the trip through the warp becomes arduous when they're stuck for far longer than originally planned. Many members of the crew become restless and turn to rebellion. The Terranean former president strives to begin peace talks aboard on of the colony ships, but it's destroyed by unknown means. The former president's second in Command takes charge and immediately begins strict martial law and forcefully puts down the rebellion, even after the small fleet makes it to a nearby planet christened Battlement. World-building begins amid terraforming efforts to make the atmosphere breathable for humans and plant life brought from Terra. Age of Strife The New Conglomeration and many disillusioned citizens slowly get fed up with the Terranean Republic's harsh and totalitarian rule. Despite repeated promises that more ships from Terra would arrive, they never do thanks to furious warp storms. Battlement is cut off. Due to irreconcilable ideological differences and tensions reaching a breaking point, the two factions eventually fight. The war officially starts after the new Conglomeration secedes from the Terranean Republic. This is exacerbated by a massacre of protestors by the Republic near the Sanguine Fortress, the Republic's capital building on the planet. The civil war drags on for years, as both sides struggle in vain to get an edge over one another. New Conglomeration mercenaries and freedom fighters fight against Terranean conscripts and regular, elite soldiers. Only after another decade does the New Conglomeration finally win, with densely shielded main battle tanks as the tip of the spear. Great Crusade The arrival of the Salamanders and Raven Guard arrive to a planet in ruins. The New Conglomeration eventually starts fighting one another as they battle for the scraps of the Terranean Republic's former land and assets. Most surrender in awe of Vulkan and Corvus Corax alone, but those foolish enough to continue resistance are quickly swept aside by surgical strikes from the Raven Guard. The Salamanders take to rebuilding the planet and ensuring the civilian population is in good condition. The civilian populace reforms its government into a democracy that has endured to this day. Horus Heresy The Imperial army garrison is swayed by newly risen Tzeenchian cults who disguise themselves as a legitimate political party known as The Marksians. The leader of this cult, Karlson Marks, spearheads a massive uprising against Battlement's government and plunges the entire planet into the bloodiest civil war in its history. He uses his psychic might to summon multiple lesser demons to help lead his hordes of Marksians into battle. However, faith in the God Emperor and noble sacrifice prevail as the rest of Battlement's population digs its heels in and finally checks the advance of the Marksians. The Marksians throw waves of cultists at the beleagured defenders without mercy, but fail to crack the now hardened lines. The Marksians are further hampered by freedom-fighting partisans who harass their supply lines. Bled dry, the Marksians instead occupy a large chunk of land and try to compete with Battlement's non-chaotic population. Over the course of 44 years, the Marksians are slowly whittled down and collapse before the might of resurgent Imperium forces. Present Battlement recovers from the war and develops a fierce sense of anti-authoritarianism. They are also loyal to the Imperium and provide tithes where possible. In M.41, the Tau see this well-to-do planet and begin efforts to subvert it to the Greater Good. The planetary Governess slowly warms up to such overtures and progressively begins letting the Tau onto Battlement and into its affairs. She finally cedes much of the planet to the Tau for her own gain. An unknown astartes chapter lands onto the planet however, and assists the resistance movement known as the Agents of Liberty in retaking th planet. This succeeds and reconstruction begins, but the forces of chaos land and have laid siege to Battlement up until The Reckoning. Now, the planet faces an uphill struggle to fully rebuild. Its security remains in question as the Red Corsairs, Ork Freebooterz, and Dark Eldar seek to capitalize on Battlement's weakened status. Following that dire campaign, Farseer Joanna with a small group of other Eldar individuals arrived to the planet to negotiate a sort of cooperation between the two forces. She knows that since the chapter is renegade, they'd be in a better position to offer assistance to this enigmatic ally. The negotiations were still in progress but a deal had yet to be struck, as the Liberators know that the Eldar see humanity as inferior and will happily manipulate them. These negotiations were interrupted by the arrival of Slaaneshi forces who sought to fully corrupt the chapter to chaos. Aside from the fact that the Emperor's Liberators refer to Chaos as 'The Great Tyrant', the idea of trading slavery to an overzealous Inquisitor for slavery to increasingly perverse desires and a Chaos God was unthinkable. For even the most cynical members of the Emperor's Liberators and Agents of Liberty, there was no freedom in such a deal. The combined Imperial and Eldar forces quickly banished the demons from the warp. Equally dire however was the Inquisition. Such a vast organization was bound to have people loyal to Markius Zucken, and those people would want revenge against the Liberators and Agents. With the Inquisition designating them as renegades, it would be a matter of time before the Exterminatus order was sent. Preparations would have to be made, and none of them seemed adequate for even the weakest retribution fleet. Battlement could see troubling days indeed... Central Command The Albus Domus is the official Fortress-Monastery of the chapter. Aesthetically, it bears an uncanny resemblance to the presidential residency of an ancient Terran civilization named Merica, save for its massive size in comparison to its ancient counterpart. Originally, it was the remains of a crashed Battle Barge during the Imperial uprising against the Tau on Battlement. However, upon the war's end it was rebuilt into a massive fortress and HQ for the chapter. There's a massive underground bunker complex that can reliably house civilians and soldiers, and cater to their needs and a few desires. The building itself is multiple stories high, with numerous rooms and hallways. The Albus Domus has one massive room that can hold the entire chapter, and is meant to hold important items or hold chapter meetings. The building is encased in ferrocrete, marble, and ceramite. The building is strapped with the remains of crew-served weapons from the wrecked Battle Barge, as well as various additions. Snipers are posted on the building and mounted AA-cannons flank the area. The planetary governor lives in a specially designated room, as do key personnel. The Albus Domus also has the latest in technology designed for the purpose of communications, sensory functions, defenses, and shielding. Some of it is rumored to be salvaged Tau technology. The exact composition of the Albus Domus' technology is highly classified information known only to the highest echelons of command from the Emperor's Liberators. While the chapter uses the often credible excuse that it's for protection against the constant Iron Warriors and Word Bearers sieges, other detractors think the Emperor's Liberators have something to hide. The first floor of the building contains the most important rooms and is used by the chapter. It has the 'Library of Liberty', which holds the most sacred texts of the chapter. Inquisitor Markius Zucken would make his now infamous final push to scour this room of the chapter's entire history and culture. This room is also used for study of various texts the chapter has access to, for whatever reason. Another large room exists that serves as the chapter armory and forge. Executive Tedium Nugentus made a point of hoarding weapons during the rebellion against the Tau, and sought to ensure the chapter maintained this tradition later on. This room does not just hold the various weapons and armor that the chapter uses, but also various scavenged weaponry from alien foes. Most of these alien weapons come from the Tau. Whatever alien weaponry can't be immediately used in battle is stored here, where the tech-marines work to get them working. After all, the chapter is Renegade, and needs all the weapons that it can get. The forge area also exists, where the chapter creates, modifies, and repairs its wargear. In addition, there's a firing range, dining hall, and a fighting ring for entertainment. Perhaps the most important room is the Power Area, which holds the various plasma generators that power the building. This is one of the most heavily guarded areas in the entire building, for if anything bad happened to the generators, the entire building could be reduced to a smoldering crater. Ever floor above the first one contains luxurious rooms for entertainment and housing of Battlement's politicians and celebrated guests. It's also an open secret on Battlement that there's an underground floor nicknamed 'Floor Zero', which is a subterranean command bunker for Battlement's leaders and the leaders of the chapter. Its heavily guarded, secretive nature suggests there's more under here than the chapter is letting on... The Hexagon is the command center for both the Emperor's Liberators and the Agents of Liberty, Battlement's designated Guard regiment. It bears a similar naming convention and aesthetic design reminiscent of its ancient counterpart, except for its much grander scale in the modern day. As its name suggests it is in the shape of a Hexagon, but built with the same materials as the Albus Domus and outfitted with the same technology. There are 3 floors in this massive structure. The first floor is similar in nature to the Albus Domus but is tailored for un-augmented humans. However, the other 2 floors are essentially office areas that hold the intelligence apparatus of the Agents of Liberty. These floors also contain the military bureaucracy of Battlement and the Agents of Liberty, where important military and civilian leaders meet when necessary. There is a specially built 'Hall of Valor' that has been rebuilt after The Reckoning to accommodate the fallen warriors of the Agents of Liberty. A similar room exists in the Albus Domus, though it's for fallen Emperor's Liberators. A secret elevator for authorized personnel also exists that leads to a gigantic underground command center called the 'War Room'. Decked with the most cutting edge electronics and sensors, the War Room allows the Agents of Liberty to properly respond to any crisis at home or abroad with tactical precision. This building is also heavily fortified, and a symbol of power for the Agents of Liberty. Notable Regions Alska Alska is a tundra region that is rich with promethium. The Tau Empire eyed these frigid lands and coveted such resources as useful for their Empire. Colonization efforts were limited to Earth Caste industry to recover such resources at the approval of the former corrupt planetary governess. The vast tundras were the sites of a few brutal armored battles, however the Tau won most of these thanks to the open terrain. It was one of the last places to be fully liberated. These areas however would not see peace for long, as the forces of Chaos invaded Battlement and seized roughly 80% of these lands for a while. After the forces of Chaos were eliminated, the local population would once again utilize these lands for its promethium resources. Temperatures can dip to −60''' °'F. This inhospitable climate has proven to be an excellent training ground for Battlement's armed forces, especially the Emperor's Liberators and their scouts. Death Alley Nicknamed 'Death Alley', these scorching hot deserts are also home to vast stocks of promethium. Large sand dunes occasionally dotted this landscape, and even rarer still the occasional oasis. Tau armored units reaped a heavy toll in these open deserts, and were the sites of the Imperium's most stinging defeats. Tau Earth and Fire Caste control of this region and its resources were absolute until the very end of the war, and wresting this region back to Imperial control took a full year of heavy losses. Word Bearer terrorists who call themselves Alsyth-Quaedans ran rampant in this region and have converted portions of the small civilian populations there to chaos. Until the Reckoning, just over half of this region remained out of the benevolent light of the Emperor, as these chaotic warbands and astartes roam the area and launched vicious hit and run attacks against their enemies. Now, the population of Battlement is once again hard at work in these scorching deserts seeking to utilize the valuable promethium. The workers there must brave 130' °'''F of heat, and heat related injuries and deaths have become common. Unsurprisingly, scout marines of the Emperor's Liberators and members of the Agents of Liberty also train here as well as Alska. Battlement's Breadbasket Grasslands and plains with cities and farmland and Tau salvage. Affectionately referred to as Battlement's breadbasket, this region is where most of Battlement's food supply is grown. During the revolution against the Tau, the Tau Empire held an iron grip on the area for most of the war and used it to feed the Gue'vesa populations. As the war went on, its agricultural output was briefly compromised as the Imperials and Tau fought viciously over such a strategic area. The scale of such battles resulted in valuable amounts of salvage that scavengers and wasted no time in plundering. While Battlement's authorities were able to recover most of it, the scavengers had to be paid a hefty fee for the materials and technology they recovered. This region was left entirely incapable of production for a while when the forces of Chaos invaded the planet, thanks to constant warfare and a Nurglite bioweapon known as 'Battlement's Blight'. When the forces of Chaos were finally pushed off the planet, the region was left scarred and held just over half of its productive capabilities. It remains to be seen if the region will ever fully recover, but for now its production is sufficient for Battlement's currently small population. The Redwoods The forested regions are composed of dense forests. During the revolution against the Tau, these forests were nicknamed the 'Redwoods' thanks to the massive bodycounts experienced on both sides. Aside from timber, these forests also provide some sources of food for Battlement's population, though not nearly as much as the grasslands and plains. Just outside of the forests are the locations of captured Tau Ion Cannons and Imperial laser silos. Otherwise, the forests are strategically irrelevant and have largely escaped warfare after the revolution. Apppalachan Mountains The Appalachan Mountains are another region of strategic importance. This region is rich in adamantium and other metal ores critical to wartime and civilian industry. As such, this region saw massive infantry battles as both sides knew that their war effort depended on its rich resources. The Tau Empire coveted these regions, and was one of the reasons the Ethereals set their eyes on Battlement to begin with. The rocky and rough terrain was perfect for the Agents of Liberty when they carried out their guerrilla campaign, and even became a base of operations for their resistance. Only the Tau Battlesuits could hope to effectively traverse this territory, but even they became bogged down in the rough terrain as the people of Battlement knew the land well. The forces of Chaos had similar issues when they sought to invade Battlement, and their control of the area remained minimal. Now that Chaos has been forced off the planet, mining operations remain normal. Mericae This country is the region that bred the famous Agents of Liberty, and where the space marines crash landed. It was always a region that was fiercely independent, and sought to make this aspect known. Unlike the other countries known as 'Urop', 'Aysa', and 'Aafrka', Mericae never fully submitted to Tau rule and was the first to openly rebel against it. This country is composed of 50 cities, but does its best to uphold the traditions of its ancestors from old earth (now Terra). After the revolution against the Tau, its anti-authoriarian nature spread across the world. Its people like to eat food from a company known as McDonaldson's and Chicken Fillet's, but enjoy other foods as well. Washton District Charlie This is the capital of Mericae and effectively the capital of Battlement. This area contains the Albus Domus and the Hexagon, but also has a small civilian population of those who moved there for the work, and military families. This area is a hub for tourism, especially due to its rich history and imposing buildings and monuments. Memorials to past wars and influential figures dominate the region, as well as highly clustered but expensive apartments and condos. Military PDF Aside from the Agents of Liberty and the Emperor's Liberators, the planet also has a dedicated PDF. Although a few of the PDF's members include members on rotation from the Emperor's Liberators and Agents of Liberty (these soldiers are sent on shore leave back to the planet, where they mostly take up garrison duty for a set period of time), most of them are volunteers at least 18 years old who volunteer for duty. Those with the highest marks are inducted into the Agents of Liberty; the rest are sent across the planet for garrison duties. There is one caveat to the recruitment process: out of the top PDF trainees, a set amount are hand picked for the sacred duty that is entrusted to the Secretum Officii. Secretum Officii The Secretum Officii is made up of the best recruits in PDF training, and are entrusted to guarding Battlement's politicians and other heavily guarded areas in the Albus Domus and The Hexagon. These men and women are given some of the best equipment that even rivals that of Imperial Inquisitors, like Digital Weapons and Conversion Fields. Entrusted with such high priority duties, their security clearances and background checks are unforgiving. The secrets entrusted to these men and women mean the personnel must be of pure heart and mind... Astral Force The Astral Force is essentially the home fleet of Battlement. It is made up of multiple space stations that are heavily armed and armored, and even an old Imperial Ironclad that is in the process of being retrofitted for active duty. Aside from these assets, there are also a few light cruisers and frigates that make up the fleet. The Astral Force was initially meant to defend against incursions from pirates, Red Corsair raids, Dark Eldar and Eldar Corsair raids, and Ork Freebooterz. However, the events of The Reckoning have completely changed the nature of their mission and training. Every member of the Astral Force is burdened with the grim knowledge that they could never survive alone against an Inquisitorial retribution fleet. Every single training session has been dedicated to them buying time until the Emperor's Liberators and Agents of Liberty can relieve them. They are a delaying force at best. Simulations and wargames have shown that the Astral Force can currently hold off a retribution fleet for a week. Warp travel to Battlement meanwhile, takes weeks or even months... Government Battlement's government operates under a constitutional republic reminiscent of an ancient Terran civilization. The relics that the Agents of Liberty and Emperor's Liberators hold dear are also the foundations for Battlement's government. These are official rules that ensure the citizens of Battlement enjoy a decent degree of freedom (at the disgust and bewilderment of Imperial visitors). The planet has a group of senators that represent each separate country in Battlement, and vote for specific policies and initiatives. The President has limited authority for unilateral actions, but is largely bound by this senate to prevent serious abuses of power. Unfortunately, political scheming amongst the senators has seen a heightened risk of a demonic possession by Tzeentch... Category:Civilised Worlds Category:Imperial Planets Category:Imperium Category:Planets Category:Space Marine Chapter Homeworld Category:Space Marines